Praxis is hard. It’s not for everyone because the program requires a specific mindset to thrive. It’s not just another educational program that tells you to do things that will make you look good to employers. Praxis is the facilitator of self-directed growth and education. A passive mindset just doesn’t work in this type of environment.
I get to interact with participants just about every day. Here are some things I’ve learned from them:
There is no such thing as a negative situation.
Bad things happen to participants, just like everyone else. They go through breakups, face disapproving parents and friends, and experience failure in their jobs and professional life. What sets them apart is not the absence of negative situations, but their reaction to them.
Praxis participants have a way of turning every situation, positive or negative, into an opportunity for growth. I’ve actually heard them say that they look forward to the next hiccup or unexpected challenge.
Instead of playing the victim, they immediately bounce back and learn what they can. Curiosity is a powerful driver of this attitude. Instead of creating a narrative that describes why they failed and why they’re no good, they will ask questions.
Why did I fail? What if I had done X instead? Could I have changed my actions in a way that would lead to a success in this situation? How can I implement this next time?
Questions prompt answers, and so the only next logical step is to move forward to find an answer.
It seems like after someone gets into the habit of embracing challenges, they begin to seek them out. This explains why Praxis Participants are hard to keep up with every week.
Opportunities that don’t exist can be created.
I see this consistently. Many people these days have a permission-based mindset. If an opportunity isn’t currently available, they will wait until it is, or pursue something else.
Praxis Participants on the other hand, continue to exercise their curiosity. What if X opportunity could be created? How would that need to be done?
They have the audacity to ask for things that most people simply assume are unavailable.
Praxis business partners have hired countless participants who are also college opt-outs for roles that require 4-year degrees because of this.
Participants have even taken it as far as pursuing their own apprenticeships during the program to open up as many opportunities as possible.
It doesn’t matter how much (or how little) experience you have.
Relying on credentials is a crutch. Experience is a much more honest indicator of skill and competency. However, past experience can be a crutch if it is relied on too much.
The best signal you can create is how you pursue opportunities now. I’ve seen participants with little-to-no professional experience get hired by a business partner because they exhibited a strong amount of excitement, and had phenomenal responsiveness and communication.
People are excited about people who are excited. Regardless of how much experience you have, you can create opportunities for yourself if you show a genuine amount of excitement and competency. As we’ve posted about before, the bar is low. You don’t need to have extensive industry experience to get the job you want.
Just get all the little things right. Be detail-oriented, and show that you’re willing to put in extra effort to learn what you need to learn, and that you’re excited about doing so.
